Panthers Have Renewed Acquaintances With the Tight End Position

Carolina’s passing attack has been very impressive in the early stages of the season. Quarterback Bryce Young is now utilizing a somewhat-forgotten weapon.

Sep 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble (82) carries the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s not been a week of good news for the defending NFC South champions. The Carolina Panthers sit at 1-2 after three games and come off a 21-18 road loss to the Cleveland Browns. Dave Canales’s club hosts the explosive Detroit Lions on Sunday night, and will be quite shorthanded.

Starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson were placed on injured reserve. Left guard Damien Lewis is expected to miss time with an elbow injury. This is a banged-up football team that will have quite a few new looks when they take the field in prime time against Dan Campbell’s club.

Carolina Panthers’ passing game looks much improved

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Quarterback Bryce Young is off to a solid start this season despite the team’s sub-.500 record. While his completion percentage (59.5) is nothing extraordinary, he’s already thrown for 939 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s run for one score and has not fumbled.

The fourth-year signal-caller has really spread the ball around. The team has a pair of standout wide receivers in 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan and emerging Jalen Coker. The latter leads the team with 18 catches and 222 receiving yards, and is tied for the team lead with a pair of touchdown grabs.

The only other Panthers’ player with at least 10 catches is veteran tight end Darren Waller, who like Coker has two TD receptions and is third on the team with 112 receiving yards.

Carolina’s tight ends have been a big factor early in 2026

Darren Waller with his SECOND TD of the game 😤

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During the first two seasons under Canales, tight end appeared to be an afterthought in the offense. That is certainly not the case early on in 2026. In three games, Waller, Tommy Tremble, and Mitchell Evans have been targeted a combined 30 times. That’s good for 22 receptions, 240 yards (10.9 average) and the two aforementioned Waller touchdowns.

A year ago, Panthers’ tight ends were targeted a combined 99 times in 17 regular-season games. They finished with 78 catches for 638 yards (8.2 average) and five touchdowns. One season earlier, the position was targeted 86 times. That added up to only 60 receptions, 595 yards (9.9 average) and three scores.

Now don’t get it twisted. Throwing to Coker, McMillan, Xavier Legette, Brycen Tremayne, John Metchie III and the wideouts is still Carolina’s bread and butter. That’s the position that’s been has been targeted a team-high 65 times this season. Those five players have combined 38 catches for 581 yards and three touchdowns. However, this is suddenly a passing attack, led by Young and play-caller Brad Idzik, that is showing some much-needed diversity.